


From Now On

by sharks_or_hippos



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Circus, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Minor Injuries, Trapeze, a character gets hurt but minor. like he's fine dw, allura breaks her wrist but she's minor in this so oops, death-ball that didn't cause death, fearing for the other's life because of dangerous circus acts, they're a mess for each other tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 10:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharks_or_hippos/pseuds/sharks_or_hippos
Summary: Lance and Keith worry about each other a lot cause Keith motorcycles around in a "death-ball" and lance is an acrobat. It's mostly just worry and pining for the other until...





	From Now On

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first work so pls don't drag my sorry ass. there's some cussing but not t h a t much also i have NO knowledge of how circuses work outside of what the greatest showman and a few visits taught me, so sorry if something is wrong. this is inspired by a trip i took to the circus two weeks ago. the name is basic but doesn’t match the story lol

_Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die._

It was an endless chant in Lance’s mind. A pointless chant. Keith knew what he was doing. Lance knew that, but he still got nervous every time Keith got in that metal ball of death.

Lance was tired of this. He didn’t want to worry every time Keith literally just _did his job._ That’s what he gets for having a dumb crush on a moody-ass motorcycle performer. He was the best at going around in small circles inside the hollow metal sphere, so of course he had the most dangerous stunts.

It was an average show so far. There hadn’t been any accidents or injuries, which was great, because they always made Lance do the paperwork that came with injuries.

Lance focused back on the death-ball, as Keith had stopped circling the dirt floor to drive into it. Keith slowed down and came to a halt inside, pulling off his helmet. He revved his red and white motorcycle and grinned crookedly around him.

Keith wasn’t much of a performer when he was first recruited, but thanks to Lance’s hard work, he seemed comfortable in front of the audience. And now, when Keith performed, he put on an honest to God show.

Keith’s eyes met Lance’s and he looked away quickly before sliding on his helmet.

The motorcycle shot forward and tilted so he was going in tight circles in the death-sphere. Keith’s bike jerked and he spun downward and then into a series of horrifying loop-de-loops.

Lance’s eyes were glued to Keith’s every movement, ignoring the other acts happening around him.

Keith slowed, and another person was added to the death-ball. Lance recognized the figure as James Griffin. Lance scoffed. _Ugh what a douche._ Lance thought at James started _flexing_. Newsflash asshole, you aren’t as cute as you think.

James’ orange bike was really fucking ugly, but he thought it made him hot stuff. He nodded at Keith and his _monstrosity_ propelled forward at the same time as Keith’s. Their motorcycles seemed to chase each other, in perfect sync. They split and their circles twisted until James was able to reach his arm out and high-five Keith.

They slowed and the death-ball opened. Only to close around a new figure. Lance’s best friend, Allura, volunteered to stand in the death-ball tonight, since the usual girl fell off a prop and fractured her wrist.

Lance grew even more nervous, now for Keith _and_ Allura.

The motorcycles circled her, and she was left untouched in the center of the death-ball. Keith seemed fine too, hunched into the handlebars of his bike, and Lance could see his grin practically glowing through his visor. That shouldn’t be as hot as Lance finds it. The motorcycles slowed and the host opened the death-ball and gently guided Allura out by her hand. She was flushed with adrenaline and a beaming smile lit up her face.

His eyes snapped back to Keith who was doing just as good as good as he had been the whole time, smile and all limbs intact.

Then Ryan Kinkade was added, just to make this a bit more stressful to Lance. Ryan had an unexpected and slightly odd obsession with the color pink, and was completely decked out in it. Even his bike.

Everything, thankfully went off without a hitch. Keith, Kinkade, and James circled around the death-ball and managed a couple more high-fives.

The host opened the hatch to the death-ball and all three bikers raced out, doing some tricks and jumps on various things around the dirt floor, just to show off a little.

Keith came to a sliding stop, tossing up some dust, before yanking off his helmet. This time there was a wild look in his eyes and sweat on his forehead, accompanied by some heaving breaths. _He may die from doing this, but fuck if he won’t look good doing it._ Lance locked eyes with him and winked. Keith looked confused, like he was wondering if Lance was even directing it at him. Lance shot him an of-course-I’m-winking-at-you look. Keith blinked dumbly and looked back out at the crowd, waving and laughing at something Kinkade had leaned over and whispered to him.

  


_Don’t die. Don’t die. Don’t die._

It was an endless chant in Keith’s mind. A pointless chant. Lance knew what he was doing. Keith knew that, but he still got nervous every time Lance flipped around in his tight blue suit.

Lance has been doing acrobatics his whole life, or so Keith had been told. He and Allura were on opposing trapezes, legs bent around the bar part, tilting them upside down. They were swinging towards each other, and then, Lance let go.

His hands met Allura’s wrists and her hands met his wrists, effectively linking them together. Keith let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Reminding himself to breathe, he continued staring at Lance.

Allura yanked Lance and he flipped over her, onto a high platform, next to another trapeze, earning a few claps from the audience.

The lighting for Lance’s act was a dull pink, much less harsh than the retina burning white that accompanied his act. It shifted, going more magenta, just before Lance swung forward and swung around once, twice. The soft background music grew louder, beat picking up, and Lance let go. He clutched at his original trapeze, swinging and flipping his body back over to Allura, who was in a new position. She was gripping the trapeze with her hands, legs out and toes pointed, for Lance to grab. He did. Keith felt a beat of relief before-

  
  
  
  
  


Allura’s grip faltered and both plummeted.

  
  
  
  
  


Lance was fine. He had to be, but by the way he was slumped, Keith had little hope for anything good.

  
  


Lance woke up in a sterile smelling room, under scratchy sheets. Keith and Pidge’s voices could both be heard.

“I think he’s waking up,” Pidge stated.

A hand gripped his and when his eyes flitted open they met an intense purple gaze.

“Keith,” he felt himself mutter. “What happened?”

“You and Allura fell.” Keith looked oddly upset by this, despite Lance feeling mostly fine. He continued, “You got off lucky with just a concussion, but Allura broke her wrist. They had to do surgery on it.” Oh. Allura won’t be able to do acrobatics for a while.

“She will have to recover for 6 months and have another year of physical therapy,” Pidge stated solemnly.

Oh God. Who will he trapeze with? How is she taking it? Will she ever get back to where she was? Keith and Pidge looked at him with pity. Had he said that out loud?

“Lance- Lance calm down.” Pidge.

“It’ll be fine.” Keith.

“No! No, it _won’t!_ ” Lance rushed out.

Keith looked over at Pidge, a silent conversation passing between them. She nodded and left the room.

“Lance, I know how much this means to you. You’ve only ever trapezed with Allura, and you probably are thinking about quitting. I just want to say that whatever you choose, i support you, because, well, I really like you. Actually if you quit, that’d be great, cause I die a little inside every time you do a stunt.”

“Yeah,” Lance sniffed, “right back at you, Mullet. I always worry about you. But I- I’m not quitting.”

Keith sighed, “Oh thank God, cause I don’t want to quit, and I don’t want to lose seeing you everyday.”

Lance smiled weakly and squeezed Keith’s hand. Keith leaned down and kissed him, softly but poured a lot of emotion into it. He poured in his feelings for Lance, slow but burning.  He poured in his fear of losing Lance, of Lance getting hurt again.

They heard the tell-tale click of a phone camera.

“PIDGE!” they yelled in unison, not even bothering to look away from the warmth, the feelings pooling in their eyes.

  
  
  
  


Needless to say, Keith asked Lance out and the rest became history.

**Author's Note:**

> if i majorly fucked up with something then please lemme know. i hoped you enjoyed this bc im trying over here but it rlly ain't working for me. major thx to my bestie/squish dakota who helped with this idea and is just great in general. ~sj


End file.
